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What to expect if it does

Because itinerary changes often involve time, money, and a major logistical and customer service nightmare, cruise lines will do everything they can to avoid making changes on a whim. If major changes are required due to anticipated events, these are usually made in advance, allowing passengers to change their plans if they wish.

In those cases, passengers can expect to receive notice through their travel agents or by correspondence (likely email) from the cruise line.

In the event that last minute changes are required, passengers will be notified either through one of the above methods or through public address announcements or cabin letters if the voyage is already underway.

Tour changes can range from minor to sweeping. If it’s the former, you may see your original port of call appear in a different order. You can also skip a port and switch to another or change sea days.

In the most extreme cases—especially those involving tropical storms during hurricane season—I’ve seen entire regions scrapped and replaced with something else. For example, a trip to Canada and New England may replace a trip scheduled to visit the Caribbean.

What do I owe?

According to the terms of the cruise contract, which you agree to before sailing, the cruise lines will not reimburse you if they change your itinerary. If changes are made, you will be refunded for any shore excursions you booked through the cruise line that were scheduled to take place in the ports from which you are departing. (Check with your tour provider directly if you booked a third-party excursion.)

In most cases, you will also be refunded for taxes and fees charged by the missed ports. However, if alternate ports are changed, you will not get your money back.

Cruise lines sometimes offer compensation as a goodwill gesture, but you shouldn’t expect it. I’ve seen it range from a small amount of onboard credit or partial future cruise credit to a full refund and, in extreme cases, a full refund plus a free future cruise.

If the itinerary change is major and announced prior to your voyage, the cruise line may offer booked passengers the opportunity to cancel or reschedule their cruise without incurring the usual penalty.

My cruise line changed my ship

Why might it happen?

As with itinerary changes, ship changes can be made for a number of reasons. However, it is most common when a cruise line releases a new deployment for its ships, causing many of them to shift to new home ports or regions.

A vessel swap may also be necessary when a vessel is scheduled for routine dry-dock maintenance or if it experiences major mechanical faults that would prevent it from completing its scheduled voyages safely or at a speed that would allow it to complete its scheduled voyages regularly.

What to expect if it does

Cruise lines do not take hardware switching lightly and will avoid it whenever possible. Because the reasons for ship changes are usually more widespread, sometimes causing ripples throughout the fleet, they are rarer than itinerary changes.

Because dry docks and redeployments are almost always planned events, passengers usually get plenty of notice. If this happens to you, your travel agent or cruise line should notify you.

Ship changes are almost never made after the cruise has begun unless there are major mechanical problems or some type of evacuation is required.

What do I owe?

Although some cruise lines may compensate you if a mechanical breakdown causes a ship swap where the line is found to be at fault, it is unlikely that you will be compensated for a ship change before your scheduled voyage.

Again, cruise lines may choose to compensate passengers in a variety of ways, from onboard credits to free cruises, but that shouldn’t be the expectation.

Your chance of getting something for your trouble depends on many factors, including how far in advance the changes were made, the reasons they were made, and which ship your booking is being moved to. (For example, if you were booked on the line’s newest ship and suddenly find yourself on one of its oldest, the line is likely to offer you something to compensate for the lack of onboard amenities that you originally paid for.)

The best way to know what your options are when you book any cruise is to read the fine print. It is available in your cruise contract, which you can access during the precruise online check-in process. It’s boring, but the contract lays out what your rights are and what the conditions are for you to get a refund from your cruise line in the event of a change to the voyage you booked.

Another great source of information is your cruise line’s cancellation policy. When you, the passenger, choose to cancel, the rules for what happens when a cruise line cancels a voyage are often different than those that apply. Familiarizing yourself with both will help you better understand your options and rights.

Consider travel insurance

Travel insurance is another way to protect your vacation investment. I recommend a policy that is purchased from a third party (not the cruise line) and includes “cancel for any reason,” trip interruption, and trip cancellation coverage.

If your cruise line changes something about your sailing and you no longer want to go, a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy can help you cover any expenses that are not fully refundable by your cruise line when you cancel. . A regular insurance policy doesn’t cover expenses for trips you choose to cancel because you don’t like ship or itinerary changes.

However, most insurance plans can help you recoup all or part of what you paid if a change in your trip results in a delay.

Note that you must also insure other travel arrangements connected with the trip, such as pre- or post-cruise flights and hotel stays, if you want them covered.